Over the past few years, podcasting has become a media mainstay for the American consumer. Top podcasting hosts now earn millions of dollars per year; investigative podcasts have themselves, in some cases, become part of the news stories they track; movies are made from hit podcasts; and social media chatter and loyal subscriber communities are part of the podcasting ecoystem.
In 2021, we saw video podcasting gain significant momentum online – as millions of people watched their favorite podcast hosts record audio episodes.
With the dominance of podcasts and the new interest in video podcasts, we looked into the potential for video podcasts to take a starring role in digital content consumption.
There are strong arguments to be made on both sides:
Video podcasts are here to stay:
In 2021, YouTube became one of the top podcasting platforms alongside Apple and Spotify. YouTube lists video podcasts as a phenomenon in its 2021 Global Trends report, explaining that as content consumption has become increasingly immersive, it’s not enough for people to just listen to a podcast – now they want to watch it as it’s being recorded.
One reason people love podcasts is because they build intimacy between the listener and the host, and video podcasts can deepen that intimacy. For those watching video podcasts, there is a benefit to feeling like you are ‘behind the scenes,’ able to pick up on the physical interactions and body language of those who are recording.
Video podcasting creates ready-made content for channels like TikTok and Instagram – platforms where podcasting consumers spend significant time.
Video podcasts will fade away:
One of the biggest drivers of the popularity of audio podcasts is that they enable multi-tasking. In a world where Americans have never been more focused on maximizing what they can get out of a single day, audio podcasts allow individuals the opportunity to be informed or be entertained while getting other things done. Video podcasting doesn’t afford the same option for productivity that audio provides.
Up to this point, YouTube has been serving as a secondary distribution channel for podcasts – most podcasters don’t post their content on YouTube alone. Thus, perhaps it’s more fitting to think of video podcasts as a supplement to audio podcasts instead of a next-generation replacement.
Ultimately, we predict that video podcasts may keep rising in popularity, but audio podcasts will reign supreme.